Telangana CM's US visit denied: Mamdani meeting, MEA clearance in focus
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy's US visit was denied clearance. A tentative plan to meet NYC Mayor Mamdani has triggered opposition questions.
A political controversy has erupted in Telangana over Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's cancelled US visit, with the opposition questioning a tentative plan to meet New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) has described the proposed meeting as "tentative," adding that no official communication was exchanged between the Mayor's office and the CM's office.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier denied political clearance for the US leg of Reddy's trip, while permitting his visit to the United Kingdom. An MEA spokesperson explained that the proposed programme must be "appropriate to the office held and the purpose of the visit," and in this case, it was not so for the US.
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has demanded clarity on what made the programme "inappropriate," while BJP MP Arvind Dharmapuri questioned the rationale behind the meeting, citing Mamdani's past actions, including skipping the India Day Parade and expressing solidarity with Umar Khalid, a UAPA accused in the 2020 Delhi riots case.
The itinerary also included meetings with the Indian diaspora and visits to Harvard University, MIT, Northeastern University, and Virginia Tech, where MoUs were to be signed. Reddy had earlier instructed his delegation to proceed with the tour and sign agreements in his absence, stating his goal was to bring top global institutions to Hyderabad and make it a global knowledge hub.